Printing-machine



N0. '6|8,793.' Patented Jan. 3|, I899. J. A. GLEDI-IILL & \I. C. WHITNEY.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.)

8 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.) (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

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nofitsla'fm. Patented Jan. 3:, I899. J. A. GLEDHlLL-& J. c. WHITNEY.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Applicatidn filed Dec. 24, 1896.)

(No Modo I.)

8 Sheets--Sheat 3.

WM/WM "0., (8,793. Patented 1an .-3|, I899. J. A. GLEDHILL a .1; c; WHITNEY.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.)

8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

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a: mum mars co, Pr-gofuuwm, WASHINGTON, 04 CV No. 6l8,793. Patented .Ian. 3|, I899. J. A. GLEDHILL & J. C. WHITNEY. PRINTING MACHINE.

I (Application filed Dec. 2;, 1896'.) (No Model.) a Shouts-Sheet 5.

Wi-ZiusscS AVA m0 No. 6l8,793. I Patented'lan. 3|, I899. J. A. GLEDHILL &. J. C. WHITNEY.

PB|NTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.)

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 6.

No. 6l8,793. v Patented Ian. 3|, I899.

J. A. GLEDHILL &. J. C. WHITNEY.

PBINTINGMACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1896.) (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

Wz'Ziz'erscs. j fam I l I No. $8,793. Patented Ian. 3|, I8 99.

J. A. GLEDIIILL 8', J. G. WHITNEY. I

PRINTING. MACHINE.

(Apfilicatioix filed Dec. 24, 1896.)

(No, Model.) I v 8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

.Fic. If

JOHN ADAM GLEDHILL AND JOSHUA CHARLES l/VHITNEY, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND; SAID WHITNEY ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE CHARLES CHALLENGER,

or SAME PLACE.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,793, dated January 31, 1899.

Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616.913. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN ADAM GLED- HILL and JOSHUA CHARLES WHITNEY, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Manchester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relatin g to Letter-Press-PrintingMachines, (for which we have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 19,711, dated September '7, 1896,) of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to letter-press-printing machines and is applicable to platen and other types of said printing-machines.

The object of our invention is to provide a printing-machine capable'of printing letterpress at one operation or impression in any number of colors required in such work, thereby avoiding the cutting of the inking-rollers into various widths or sections. The work may or may not have borders surrounding the same; but when borders are employed in such work the same may be of either one or more solid colors and may be a separate and distinct color from any used in the body of the work or letter-press.

By our invention we accomplish an effective distribution of all the colors used in the machine, whereby we obtain a uniform density or depth of each individual color throughout the work.

By our invention also the work is effected by the use of one form only instead of employing a number of forms corresponding to the number of colors used.

0 urinvention consists of apparatus for supplying rings or bands of colors to be used in multicolor work around and lengthwise of the ink-distributing rollers and from the latter direct to the inking-cylinder and thence to transfer the whole of the various colors used or placed thereon onto the inking rollers which roll the form, which may be either in stereotype or electrotype, said colors being rolled on the letter-press at one operation.

- The invention thus insures perfect and uniform ink distribution to the type and the border at one operation'and in their diiferent colors.

For the purpose of clearly comprehending our invention we have hereunto annexed several sheets of drawings illustrating the same, in which drawings like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of an ordinary platen-machine, showing our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of 1. Fig. 4: is an elevation, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing ourinvention detached from the machine. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front elevation showing the color=dis-k rollers with the disks mounted thereon and the border-roller. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing one fountain-roller, a distributing-roller, and one of the disk-rollerswith the means for imparting longitudinal movement to the distributing-roller. Fig.

8 is a detail side elevation showing the position of the form-rollers when inking the type or block of letter-press. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the position of the said rollers when inking the border-lines inclosing or surrounding the letter-press. Fig. 10 is an elevation showing a color ring or disk. Fig. 11 is an elevation showing the application of middle tappets when an intermediate color is desired to be used in a form. Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing the relative position of the form-rollers and the inking-cylinder when our invention is in operation.

Our invention can be applied to letter-pressprinting machines now in general use.

In the said drawings the reference-letters a a a indicate ink-distributing rollers, their surfaces being in contact with fountain-rollers b, which carry the ink from theink-fountains. The said distributing-rollers are so mounted and arranged as to be capable of a longitudinal movement, which is effected by a cam o, projecting from the flat face of a pulley 0 one of which is carried by each shaft 1), (see Figs. 3 and 7,) said cam being adapted at a certain point in its revolution to engage at cl, Fig. 3, with the end of the shaft a of one of the distributing-rollers. Motion is imparted to the fountain-rollers b through the pulleys c by means of a band from a pulley e, mounted on the shaft f of the inking-cylinder n. The end of said shaft a is maintained in constant contact with the cam c by a coilspring g, interposed between the end of the roller a and a side 77. of the framework. By means of the sliding movement of the roller a the inks carried from the fountains 11 may be distributed between the surfaces of the distributing-roller a and fountain-roller b and so transferred to the disks and form-rollers now about to be described. We may employ any number of distributing-rollers with appendant parts, but the drawings herein illustrate the employment of three.

On the framework orstandard h We mount rollers j in conjunction With the distributingrollers a. Also when borders are to be formed to surround the letter-press we provide an inking-roller It, Figs. 1 and 4. On the rollers j we mount disks or rings m, made of any suitable pliable material, havinga sufficiently adhesive nature, such as rubber or composition, so as to be frictionally adjustable on said rollers. These disks or rings We make of any required width for the purpose of inking lines, rules, or type. Said rollersj and 7c are capable of movement within their bearingsto and from the ink-distributing rollers a, and to and from the inking-cylinder n, which movements are controlled by suitable semicircular eccentric parts 0 0 upon rotating disks 1) 19, mounted on the shaftf of the ink-cylinder it. These pieces or parts we term tappets, and they have any convenient length of contact-surfaces, being usually semicircular or thereabout. Two of these tappets 0 0 are placed upon each of the disks 1? and p, the tappet 0 being mounted upon the inner face and the tappet 0 upon the outer face of each disk, Figs. 2, 5, and 12. The edge of each tappet projects suitably beyond the periphery of the disk on which it is placed, one being on one side of the axis orv shaft and the other upon the diametrically opposite side of said axis. They are secured to the flat faces of the disks p and p by any suitable means-as, for example, by screws. They may, evidently, be adjusted relatively to each other in such manner as to allow the application to the inking-cylinder n of separate strips of color extending over each half of the surface of said inking-cylinder or over any less extent, according to the relative adjustment of said tappets for cooperation with the disk-rollers j and ink-roller lo, respectively, which is effected by pulleys or runners q q, Fig. 3, mounted on the disk-roller shafts and the ink-roller shaft, respectively. The said runners q q are so arranged with relation to the tappet-disks p 1) that they effect the movement of the disk-rollers y from the distributing-rollers a to the ink-cylinder n at the moment when the ink-roller 7c is in the act of moving from the ink-cylinder it toward the distributing-roller a. In other words, while the disks m on the rollers j are transferring to the cylinder n their colored inks which they have received from the distributing-rollers C6 the ink-roller 7c is collecting its ink from the distributing-rollera in order to suitably operate in conjunction with the forminking rollers s, 25, and it, which are also actuated by the tappet-disks p and 19. The rollers j 7." are normally held in contact with the ink-cylinder n by springs m (Shown in Fig. 7.) The said inking-rollers s t u are supported by carriersv 'v, capable of sliding along V- shaped slides to w, which are attached at convenient parts of the sides of the frame, as at 10 212 Figs. 1, 8, and 9. The movements of the carriers 17 o are effected by connecting-bars a: 00 and elbow-levers 1 11 to the end of which said bars 00 0c are connected. The levers y are supported at z z and are provided at the ends of their short arms with bowls 1 g which rest against the levers A A, mounted on the shaft B. Said shaft is caused to oscillate about its axis by means of an arm 0, rigidly mounted 011 the shaft B and provided with a friction-roll C, which is mounted upon a pin projecting from the end of the lever G into a cam-race D in the face of a gear E, which latter is driven by the driving gear-wheel E. The shaft of the latter has a crank F, connected to a footlever F by a bar F This arrangement of driving mechanism is well known in the ordinary platen-machines. The cam-raceD is eccentric to the shaft E of the gear E, and as the latter revolves the lever C imparts an oscillating or to-and-fro movement to the levers A A, and thereby rocks the arms of the levers yy. The long arms of said levers will therefore have an up-and-down movement and cause the carriers 41 'v to slide up and down the surfaces of the slides 10 and w.

The inking-rollers s, i, and u are held in position within the slots or openings G by means of spiral springs H, the peripheries of which rollers are thus maintained in close contact with the surface of the inking-cylinder n. The function of these rollers is to take inks from the ink-cylinder and transfer the same to the block of letter-press hereinafter described. On the shaft of each of the inkingrollers s t u is mounted a pair of disks, (denoted by the letters I, J, and K.) These disks have extensions of less diameters, as shown in the drawings, those on the rollers s and 25 being upon the inner faces of the disks, while those on the shaft to are upon the outer faces. The said disks thus lie in the plane of rotation of the peripheries of the tappets 0 or 0, according to the arrangement of the extensions of the disks I J K inside or outside of the said disks. When the said disks I J K are brought into line with the tappets 0 or 0 on the shaft of the inking-cylinder n, the roll 3, t, or 7.6 is caused to move out of contact with the inking-cylinder n, and somewhat away from the latter. \Vhen the small extensions of said disks are in line with the tappets 0 or 0, no effect willbe produced upon the rollers and they will remain in contact with'said cylinder 91.

When the carriers to with theinkin -rollthe disks I J K upon the shafts of said rolls will pass upon rails L L upon the inner faces of the slides to to. To the rails L L are attached adjustable projecting parts M M M M M M Figs. 2, 4, and 5,'which form tappets, over which the disks I J Kin their downward travel are caused to pass. If the larger diameter of the disks passes over and upon said tappets M, M M and M each inkingroller upon the same shaft with said disks is moved from the letter-press, type, or block N on the press-bed O. In the drawings illustrating the platen-machine the function of the rollers s and t is to ink the type or letterpress, the function of the lower roller a being to ink the border-lines only. As an illustration, we will explain the action of roller u, as shown in Fig. 2, the action of the rollers s and t being similar.

The smaller diameters of the disks K on the shaft of the roller it pass on to the tappets M M, the roller then being in contact with.the border P of the form represented in black. (See Fig. 9.) The larger diameters of said disks will then pass on to the tappets M M and the roller tt'lS thus removed from the surface P of the form. The rollers s and 2f, which simultaneously operate upon the letterpress P, (see Fig. 8,) having passed from off the said tappets, the larger diameters of said disks K then pass on to the faces of the blocks, and the smaller diameters passing over the tappets M M the roller "u again makes con tact with the bottom border-line P as shown in Fig. 9 in dotted lines, and the inking of the bottom border-line is thus accomplished. After completing this operation the carriers, with the rollers, are caused to move up the slides to to, this being a repetition of the operations explained, but in the opposite direction, and thence pass back to the ink-cylinder n for the purpose of taking the various colored inks therefrom, ready for the next operation of inking the form N, during which period of taking the inks from the cylinder the impression is made in the usual manner on the paper provided.

Any number of parts or tappets may be.

provided on the rails L L and of any length, according to the space occupied on the form by the border-strips and the letter-press, respectively, such variations being obvious in order to meet different requirements.

The operation of this invention is as follows: Each compartment or color-receptacle of the divided ink-fountiis situated opposite to a ring or disk m, and as the fountain-rollers b revolve the different colored inks are led on to the distributing-rollers CL, and by the longitudinal movement thereof the said inks are suitably distributed. The disks m are by the action of the circular tappets 0 0 passed into contact or engagement with the distributing-rollers to collect the lines, strips, bands, or sections of the various colored inks therefrom for the purpose of inkingthe type. The ink-roller is represented in the act of transferring a single colored ink to the cylinder n, which ink is'for the purpose of-inking the top and bottom of the border.

Fig. 4 also represents the type-inking rollers s and 25 in their normal position in contact with the inking-cylinder n to collect the strips or sections of colored inks previously transferred thereto by the rings or disks m. At the same time the border-roller u is removed by tappets 0 0 out of contact with the face of the inking-cylinder n. Thus, according to our arrangement of tappets, we have more or less extent of surface of the parts 0 0 around the circumferences of the disksp and p, which are of the same diameter as the inking-cylinder n. Consequently the disk-rollers j and the ink-roller 7c are caused to make more or less alternate contact with the inking-cylinder n. For example, if two semicircular tappets are employed equal parts of the surface of the periphery of the inking-cylinder n or one-half thereof will be covered by strips of color and the other half will be covered with a single colored ink, such portions being taken off the cylinder '11. by the appointed inkingrollers s t u, as described.

It is obvious that according to our arrangement of rings or disks m, in combin ation with the distributing-rollers and divided compartments or ink-fountains, we are enabled to employ any desired number of colored inks sufficient to satisfy all practical requirements. For example, we may by the employment. of three ink-fountains divided into four compartments each use twelve different colors. The colors having been collected from the inking-cylindern, the form-inking rollers s t it then pass down to the type, and the top and bottom sides of the type or border are inked by color transferred by two rings or disks nearest to the ends of the roller upon which they are mounted. Each disk is arranged opposite one of the two sides'or border-lines on the form which are awaiting the ink, and the inking-rollers being operated by the properlyadjusted tappets in the manner described the colors are transferred to the type and the borders are inked. The impression is then made in many colors at one operation by means of the platen R, and our invention is thus a multicolor printing-machine, which is capable of printing a border of one uniform or solid color distinct from any color or colors used in the letter-press or body of the work,

and by the arrangement of means herein desurface of which suitably-formed disks of the roller t pass, which roller may have received a color from the inking-cylinder to ink in certain matter in the center or other position between any lines of letter-press or type, as represented by the letter J Thus the roller is provided with a middle color and is actuated by the aid of the middle tappets, so as to be removed from the surface of the type when the middle color has been transferred to its proper place on the type.

on, Fig. 11, represents the middle tappets, with which suitably-formed disks J engage during the travel of the inking-roller. Any convenient number of these may be used, and when the disks have passed from the said tappets, as shown in the figure, the inking of the portion J and the portions of the letter-press within the width of the part J 2 011 the form is accomplished. The part J 2 may be, for example, a woodcut, electro, or stereo of a characteristic figure interposed between the lines of letter-press, and it may be printed in any desired colored ink, as represented at J on the inking-roller t, which section of color placed thereon corresponds to the width of the part J to be inked. The larger disks J 5 pass over the tappets m when the part J has been inked, and the roller is thus lifted from the surface of the type, the remainder of the lines of letter-press being inked by the other rollers s and u in their respective colors, the disks of which are formed of a diameter adapted to the tappets m which are so arranged that the border-roller a and roller 8 will pass over the middle tappets and ink the type on each side of the center piece J while the roller u will ink the sides m of the border.

In Fig. 10 we have shown one of the rings or disks m that are to be mounted upon their rollers j in such manner as to be adjustable thereon. We may connect said rings with their rollers by any suitable meansas, for example, by making the elastic ring of somewhat less diameter than the roller. The grip of said ring by its own elastic contraction will hold it in place upon the roller under all ordinary circumstances. As they are placed on the roller spacing-sleeves of less exterior diameter may be also slid on the roll to fill the space between and prevent the displacement of the rings by any force brought to operate thereon.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a printing-machine the combination with a distributing-roller a of a pulley c having a cam c to act upon the end of the roller shaft, the ring or disk rollers 7', having the rings or disks m, the border ink-roller 7c, the tappet-disks p, 19 provided with tappets 0, 0, arranged in different vertical planes, the rollers s, i, it, having disks upon their shafts, rails L, L having the tappets M, M M M M M carriers 1: o, for the rolls 8, t' u, e1- bow-levers 3 3 connected to said carriers, 1evers A A upon which the short arms of the levers y, y have support, and a gear having a cam-race D which receives a friction-roll on the end of an arm 0 which is rigid on the shaft B which forms the bearing for the levers A, .A.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination of the press-bed O, the rails L L provided with series of tap pets at the sides of the pressbed, the form-rollers s t it having their shafts provided with disks 1, J, K, the inking-cylinder it having its shaft provided with disks 2) p and eccentric tappets 0 0 attached to opposite faces of said disks, the rollersj provided with disks m, runners q g on the shafts of said disk-rollers, the ink-distributing rollers a, the fountain-rollers b, the pulleys c mounted on the fountain-roller shafts and provided with cams c to bear on the ends of the distributing-roller shafts for imparting longitudinal movement to the distributingrollers, and springs g at the opposite ends of the shafts of said distributing-rollers, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ADAM GLEDHILL. JOSHUA CHARLES WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES WILLIAM FULDEN, GEORGE WILLIAM JACKSON. 

